Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I inform the House of the passing of Bill Otway.
British Columbia wildlife enthusiasts and recreational fishermen have lost a consummate warrior and friend.
Bill spent a lifetime at the forefront of the fight for the best in management practices for fish and wildlife and was the single most vocal proponent of the right of recreational anglers to fish.
Always available to provide advice and, yes, even criticism, Bill never wavered in his convictions for the sake of popularity.
A former executive director of the B.C. Wildlife Federation and a sports fishing adviser to the federal government, Bill was the recipient of many awards, including a national Recreational Fisheries Award from DFO.
Bill had all the ingredients to carry the burdens he did. He was a smart, stubborn, fearless and thoroughly decent man.
In Bill's passing, British Columbia and, indeed, Canada lost someone it could ill afford to lose: a real conservationist and wise man who said what had to be said.
Our hearts go out to his wife Carol and the rest of his family.